1-4 Time to Draw the Line

All right, I'm going out for a bit. Can you hold down the fort while I'm gone, Nanao?

Where are you off to? I don't remember you having any plans like that today.

I have some business with the Central 46 and the Gold Seal Nobles Congress.

...!

Don't make such a grim face. I'm not marching to my death or anything.

But I thought the arrangements hadn't been made yet.

Yeah, I had hoped to talk to everyone informally first, too.

But I have a bad feeling after hearing what Momo had to say.

Well, Jushiro might get mad at me.

Captain Ukitake?

This was a long time ago, but Jushiro, Tokinada, and I used to be classmates at the Soul Reaper Academy.

After everything that happened, Jushiro kept believing in Tokinada, simply because of that bond.

He believed that if Tokinada's environment changed, if there was some sort of opportunity, there was no question that one day he could be reformed and sincerely confront the crimes he committed.

I didn't believe that. That being said, I couldn't kill him back then either.

But now the time has come for me to make a decision. That is all.

Come to think of it, a very unpleasant task was forced upon Shuhei, and it might all be for nothing.

I might owe him an apology.

Excuse me! We just received a Gentei Kaijo request from Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi in Karakura Town.

A Gentei Kaijo? That sounds pretty serious.

The reason given was that an unidentified hostile force has appeared. According to the surveillance room, the transmission has been interrupted.

All of the equipment used to monitor Karakura Town has been cut off. Currently, Karakura Town is in complete isolation.

What about the Court Guards Ryunosuke Yuki and Shino Madarame who were deployed to Karakura Town?

Our communication with them has also been cut off.

Sorry, Nanao. There's something else I have to deal with now. Do you think you can come with me?

Yes, sir!

This is bad. Tokinada may have just made the first move.